ANMF (Vic Branch)

Health & Environmental Sustainability Conference 2023

Welcome

Welcome to the 10^th ANMF (Vic Branch) Health and Environmental Sustainability Conference.

This conference will give you an overview of Victorian healthcare services’ obligations, and some of the great sustainability work that continues to be done in healthcare despite the continuing challenges of COVID-19.

ANMF holds this conference for the same reason you are here today: because we are facing a climate change crisis and we are already seeing the impacts on our health infrastructure, workforce and communities.

We hope you are inspired by the innovative work by nurses, midwives and other healthcare workers who recognise the link between climate change and health, and are doing something about it.

Lisa Fitzpatrick, ANMF (Vic Branch) Secretary

Lisa Fitzpatrick, ANMF (Vic Branch) Secretary

Thank you to our **Principle Sponsor HESTA,** Silver Sponsor **Aware Super** and Bronze Sponsor **Nurses & Midwives Health Fund.**

Thank you to our **Principle Sponsor HESTA,** Silver Sponsor **Aware Super** and Bronze Sponsor **Nurses & Midwives Health Fund.**

AGENDA

8am Registration

8.40am Conference open with ANMF (Vic Branch) Secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick

8.45am Conference welcome with ANMF (Vic Branch) Environmental Health Officer Ros Morgan

8.55am State Address: Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep and Minister for the Environment, Ingrid Stitt MP

9.05am Keynote: Sustainability in healthcare – lessons learnt from the pandemic and beyond with Dr Norman Swan (pictured) award-winning producer, broadcaster and investigative journalist, host of Radio National's Health Report, co-host of Coronacast and commentator on ABC TV's 7.30

9.50am Participating in solutions: PLASTIC – session introduction and context

9.55am The plastic pandemic: COVID-19 has accelerated plastic pollution, but there is a cured with Dr Rebecca Handcock, Senior Data Scientist, Curtin University

10.05am The EPIC program – engagement in plastic-free innovation for change with Clare Wensor, RN, Intensive Care Unit, The Austin

10.20am A world without plastic waste: how small steps make a big impact with Rebecca Prince-Ruiz, Executive Director and Founder, Plastic Free July

10.45am Participating in solutions: PLASTIC Q&A

10.55am Gold Sponsor address – HESTA

11am Morning tea

AGENDA

8am Registration

8.40am Conference open with ANMF (Vic Branch) Secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick

8.45am Conference welcome with ANMF (Vic Branch) Environmental Health Officer Ros Morgan

8.55am State Address: Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep and Minister for the Environment, Ingrid Stitt MP

9.05am Keynote: Sustainability in healthcare – lessons learnt from the pandemic and beyond with Dr Norman Swan, award-winning producer, broadcaster and investigative journalist, host of Radio National's Health Report, co-host of Coronacast and commentator on ABC TV's 7.30

9.50am Participating in solutions: PLASTIC – session introduction and context

9.55am The plastic pandemic: COVID-19 has accelerated plastic pollution, but there is a cure with Dr Rebecca Handcock, Senior Data Scientist, Curtin University

10.05am The EPIC program – engagement in plastic-free innovation for change with Clare Wensor, RN, Intensive Care Unit, The Austin

10.20am A world without plastic waste: how small steps make a big impact with Rebecca Prince-Ruiz, Executive Director and Founder, Plastic Free July

10.45am Participating in solutions: PLASTIC Q&A

10.55am Gold Sponsor address – HESTA

11am Morning tea

11.30am Pharmaceutical waste: time we got it right – session overview

11.40am Drugs in our waterways: Nature’s high? Prescription pharmaceuticals in waterways and the impact on wildlife behaviour with Professor Bob Wong (pictured), Professor of Behavioural and Evolutionary Ecology and Australian Research Council Future Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University

12pm Pharmaceutical waste management –
addressing clinical risk, and multidisciplinary
collaboration to improve practice at Eastern
Health with Paul Wembridge, Clinical Risk Manager (Medication Safety), Eastern Health

12.15pm Pharmaceutical waste Q&A

12.20pm Revising models of care with Sharon Desmond, Group Manager, Caring for People and Planet Unit, Mercy Health

12.40pm Making it happen at the grassroots with Bethany McLaughlin, Clinical Nurse Specialist, and Kennedy Taylor, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Werribee Mercy Hospital

12:55pm Silver sponsor address – Aware Super

1pm Lunch

11.30am Pharmaceutical waste: time we got it right – session overview

11.40am Drugs in our waterways: Nature’s high? Prescription pharmaceuticals in waterways and the impact on wildlife behaviour with Professor Bob Wong, Professor of Behavioural and Evolutionary Ecology and Australian Research Council Future Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University

12.15pm Pharmaceutical waste Q&A

12.20pm Revising models of care with Sharon Desmond, Group Manager, Caring for People and Planet Unit, Mercy Health

12.40pm Making it happen at the grassroots with Bethany McLaughlin, Clinical Nurse Specialist, and Kennedy Taylor, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Werribee Mercy Hospital

12:55pm Silver sponsor address – Aware Super

1pm Lunch

1.45pm Participating in solutions: remanufacturing single-use medical devices as a force for sustainable good with Oliver Hunt, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Medsalv

2.05pm PPE – safe & sustainable session introduction

2.10pm Reusable safety glasses – keeping staff safe and saving resources with Monika Page, Manager, Sustainability,
Facilities Management, RMH City Campus

2.15pm Reusable gowns – a case study on the clinical floor with Sarah Almeroth, RN (pictured) – Theatre, Sustainability & Environmental Project Officer, Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, SA Health

2.35pm PPE – safe & sustainable Q&A

2.45pm Be the change in your workplace – session introduction

2.50pm Advocating for sustainable practice – operating theatre sustainability with Sarina Henderson, Clinical Nurse Specialist – Operating Theatre, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne

3.05pm Medical Pantry – saving PPE, changing lives and how you can help with Dr Martin Nguyen, Founder & CEO and Julie Dao, Innovation Coordinator, Medical Pantry

3.30pm Be the change in your workplace Q&A

3.35pm Event closing address with Ros Morgan, MC and Environmental Health Officer, ANMF (Vic Branch)

1.45pm Participating in solutions: remanufacturing single-use medical devices as a force for sustainable good with Oliver Hunt, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Medsalv

2.05pm PPE – safe & sustainable session introduction

2.10pm Reusable safety glasses – keeping staff safe and saving resources with Monika Page, Manager, Sustainability,
Facilities Management, RMH City Campus

2.15pm Reusable gowns – a case study on the clinical floor
with Sarah Almeroth, RN – Theatre, Sustainability & Environmental Project Officer,Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, SA Health

2.35pm PPE – safe & sustainable Q&A

2.45pm Be the change in your workplace – session introduction

2.50pm Advocating for sustainable practice – operating theatre sustainability with Sarina Henderson, Clinical Nurse Specialist – Operating Theatre, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne

3.05pm Medical Pantry – saving PPE, changing lives and how you can help with Dr Martin Nguyen, Founder & CEO and Julie Dao, Innovation Coordinator, Medical Pantry

3.30pm Be the change in your workplace Q&A

3.35pm Event closing address with Ros Morgan, MC and Environmental Health Officer, ANMF (Vic Branch)

PLENARY 2, MELBOURNE CONVENTION CENTRE

housekeeping

Registration

Please make sure you check in at the ANMF registration desk in the morning of the conference.

Certificates of attendance will only be emailed to attendees who have registered their attendance with ANMF staff on the day of the conference.

Assistance

ANMF staff will be available at the registration desk for the duration of the conference to help you with any queries you may have.

COVID-19 safety

Attendees have been asked to please stay home should they feel unwell or have been exposed to COVID-19. If you should start to feel unwell, please remove yourself from the conference and let our staff know as soon as possible via an email to events@anmfvic.asn.au.

The venue

The conference will be held in Plenary 2 (see map above) of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC). The catering and trade display will be held outside on ground level.

The MCEC website has useful information getting to venue, car parking, accessibility and onsite facilities.

Participate in today's event

We will be using a program called Mentimetre today for polls and Q&A. Mentimetre is an easy-to-use, web-based platform. To participate, you can either:

use this link to be taken directly to the appropriate polling and Q&A pages
visit: menti.com and type in the code: 1461 2770
of, if you have more than one device with you today, scan the QR code below.

When you are invited to participate, have your phone ready to go via one of the above methods.

Photography and filming

This event may be photographed and filmed. If you have any concerns please speak with an ANMF staff member during the conference.

Dietary requirements

There is a counter for conference participants who nominated a dietary requirement on their registration form. Please note vegetarians will be catered for in the main catering area, unless otherwise signposted.

Trade display

To be COVID safe we have limited traders at this event to our sponsors only, who are generously supporting this event. Please take a moment to visit their stalls.

Smoking

Smoking is not allowed in the building. Please use the outside smoking area (on the ground floor) if you wish to smoke.

Cloak room

Cloaking facilities for your luggage are located near the main reception (Hilton Pan Pacific entrance) of MCEC.

Evaluation

We value your feedback about the conference and ask that you take a minute to complete our evaluation form to help us improve our service and conference organisation.

The evaluation form will also be emailed to you in the week following the conference. Those who complete the evaluation will be entered into a draw to win one of several prizes generously donated by our sponsors.

Emergencies

MCEC staff will be on hand to guide you in case of emergency.

Certificates

Certificates will be emailed to you one week following the conference.

Conference presentations

Powerpoint presentations made available by conference speakers for distribution will be uploaded to the ANMF website and this digital booklet in June. You will be notified by email when they become available to view.

The ANMF (Vic Branch) Health and Sustainability Resource page

ANMF (Vic Branch) has put together a range of helpful resources for nurses and midwives working in sustainability. These are under the categories of:

Clinical and related waste in healthcare
Waste segregation in healthcare
Pharmaceutical waste in healthcare
PVC recycling in healthcare
Organics diversion
Single-use metal instrument recycling in healthcare
Climate change impact on health and wellbeing
Governance in healthcare and other resources
Sustainability networking and education

On this page you will find a number of posters and powerpoints that are ready to use in your clinical setting, or only requiring mild adaptation to local procedure. These resources have been created to align with relevant Victorian guidance and regulation in their original and unchanged format. Clinicians must consult and implement local protocol and prompt documents.

Find out more

The ANMF Health and Sustainability Resource page

ANMF (Vic Branch) has put together a range of helpful resources for nurses and midwives working in sustainability. These are under the categories of:

Clinical and related waste in healthcare
Waste segregation in healthcare
Pharmaceutical waste in healthcare
PVC recycling in healthcare
Organics diversion
Single use metal instrument recycling in healthcare
Climate change impact on health and wellbeing
Governance in healthcare and other resources
Sustainability networking and education

Find out more

ANMF (Vic Branch) Green Nurses and Midwives Facebook Page

Join with a networking group dedicated to connecting health professionals who are passionate about making real improvements to sustainability in healthcare. Please share your resources, tips, tricks and encouragement in green health initiatives.

If you’d like to join you must answer all three membership questions or your request will be declined. If you invite people, please send them the link so they can answer them when/if they decide to join.

Find out more

ANMF (Vic Branch) Green Nurses and Midwives Facebook Page

Find out more

Nursing for the Environment – Intensive | Online CPD

Hate the waste? Recycle at home but not at work? Want to be a part of a quality project that cleans up the way your department practices healthcare?

Nursing for the environment – INTENSIVE is a practical and informational course designed to strengthen your advocacy and leadership around climate mitigation and environmentally sustainable workplace practice. Learn about governance requirements, speak with a range of experts, and develop an action plan.

This course is suitable for registered nurses, enrolled nurses, midwives and personal care workers.

Courses for 2023 are on Wednesday 21 June and Friday 6 October.

Please note: This course is currently scheduled to be delivered face to face at ANMF Victorian Branch, 535 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne. Face-to-face delivery is subject to change dependent on the COVID-safe conditions and restrictions in place on the course delivery date.

Nursing for the Environment – Intensive | Online CPD

Hate the waste? Recycle at home but not at work? Want to be a part of a quality project that cleans up the way your department practices healthcare?

This course is suitable for registered nurses, enrolled nurses, midwives and personal care workers.

Courses for 2023 are on Wednesday 21 June and Friday 6 October.

Online CPD: Introducing Sustainability – How to start a green team

‘I’d love to be a part of sustainability in my workplace, but I don’t know where to start.’

This is one of the most common requests for assistance the ANMF (Vic Branch) Health and Environmental Officer receives. Introducing sustainability: How to start a green team is a teaching module developed in response.

On completion of this module, you will have learned how to:

Start a green team in your workplace.
Justify sustainable healthcare practice for colleagues and management.
Recruit green team members.
Develop an agenda for your first meeting.
Identify potential workplace projects and opportunities.

Join us in a fun project for your ward / department.

Following last year's ANMF (Vic Branch) Health and Environmental Sustainability Conference, the Branch became a drop-off collection point for members looking to recycle medication vial plastic flip caps. Since then, we have received over 50 kilograms of caps!

These caps have been diverted from landfill via two organisations: Reverse Art Truck and Recycled Pen Art, who re-use and re-purpose the otherwise non-recyclable plastic into materials for schools and art projects.

The latter organisation, Recycled Pen Art, is run by a Branch member and her paramedic husband, who use the colourful plastic of intravenous medication vial caps to create unique, individually crafted pens – which are available to buy at the conference today.

If you would like to donate your caps for re-use, you can drop them off at the Branch, 535 Elizabeth Street Melbourne, Level 8, attention ANMF Environment Health Officer Ros Morgan.

Please note – only the flat caps off the pharmaceutical vial; no vials and no other bottle tops.

Online CPD: How to start a green team

‘I’d love to be a part of sustainability in my workplace, but I don’t know where to start.’

On completion of this module, you will have learned how to:

Start a green team in your workplace.
Justify sustainable healthcare practice for colleagues and management.
Recruit green team members.
Develop an agenda for your first meeting.
Identify potential workplace projects and opportunities.

Join us in a fun project for your ward / department.

If you would like to donate your caps for re-use, you can drop them off at the Branch, 535 Elizabeth Street Melbourne, Level 8, attention ANMF Environment Health Officer Ros Morgan.

Please note – only the flat caps off the pharmaceutical vial; no vials and no other bottle tops.

other resources

The Global Green and Healthy network

The Global Green and Healthy Hospital network is an international community of hospitals, health facilities, health systems and health organisations dedicated to reducing their ecological footprint and promoting public and environmental health.

The network connects and supports people leading the environmental agenda in healthcare institutions so they can share best practices and find solutions to common challenges.

Health institutions who are committed to reducing their environmental impact are invited to become GGHH members. ANMF (Vic Branch) members are also eligible to join Global Green and Healthy Hospitals.

Power Savings Bonus

In March, the Andrews Labor Government announced a new round of the Power Saving Bonus (PSB) program. Victorian households are now able to access a new $250 payment just for comparing electricity providers. To receive the bonus :

You must have a residential electricity account
You must be the account holder
Only one payment is available per household (each round). This is a new offer so even if you received a payment through previous rounds, you can still apply for this one.

Visit the Victorian Energy Compare website. Applications for this round will remain until 31 August 2023.

Cooperative Power Australia

ANMF (Vic Branch) is a member of CoPower Australia and through your membership in ANMF, you are eligible to join.

CoPower is a new way for union members to buy clean, affordable and sustainable energy and build a better future. Your electricity bills can contribute to climate justice. CoPower is Australia’s only non-profit and cooperative energy retaile r.

Find out straight up whether you will save or not. Simply grab your latest electricity bill and call 03 9068 6036 for a no obligation quote.

Make the switch now